Very similar situation and I would love some real quick advice as I have to make a decision by June 3rd. I have 45k a year at UCLA and nothing at Berkeley. I had a 24k at Duke and did not get a matching scholly and asked again telling them I would go if they gave me anything and then did not say they would. I want to do entertainment law, but i am aware at how difficult that is and how sure can you really be at this point. I want to stay in California probably LA, but i am worried about the job prospects coming out of UCLA. Is Berkeley worth it to go there for the full price? The last option would be my parents kicking in about 50k for Berkeley help, but even that seems like I am paying too much for Berkeley when i have 135k at UCLA? Help? please?

tlefky wrote:Very similar situation and I would love some real quick advice as I have to make a decision by June 3rd. I have 45k a year at UCLA and nothing at Berkeley. I had a 24k at Duke and did not get a matching scholly and asked again telling them I would go if they gave me anything and then did not say they would. I want to do entertainment law, but i am aware at how difficult that is and how sure can you really be at this point. I want to stay in California probably LA, but i am worried about the job prospects coming out of UCLA. Is Berkeley worth it to go there for the full price? The last option would be my parents kicking in about 50k for Berkeley help, but even that seems like I am paying too much for Berkeley when i have 135k at UCLA? Help? please?

I would go to UCLA. Also, get your parents to kick in that 50K at UCLA as well.

tlefky wrote:Very similar situation and I would love some real quick advice as I have to make a decision by June 3rd. I have 45k a year at UCLA and nothing at Berkeley. I had a 24k at Duke and did not get a matching scholly and asked again telling them I would go if they gave me anything and then did not say they would. I want to do entertainment law, but i am aware at how difficult that is and how sure can you really be at this point. I want to stay in California probably LA, but i am worried about the job prospects coming out of UCLA. Is Berkeley worth it to go there for the full price? The last option would be my parents kicking in about 50k for Berkeley help, but even that seems like I am paying too much for Berkeley when i have 135k at UCLA? Help? please?

I haven't revisited this thread for awhile. For anyone still interested in the ending of this story, by some miracle I ended up wheelin' and dealin' to get my UCLA scholarship up to full tuition (basically, I just asked them 3 times if they had more to give, and 3 times they increased their offer.) That pretty much knocked UCI out of the picture entirely, not to mention UCI's not so impressive stats this year. Berkeley offered me exactly $0 even after several similar requests. I wasn't fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from Duke (where I was also admitted) so the matching scholarship wasn't an option.

So, tlefky, I may be a bit biased at this point because I'm already a committed bruin, but I would DEFINITELY go to UCLA if I were you. $135K of debt is a humongous burden to carry, especially going to Berkeley which has impressive, but not home-run employment stats. Plus, you can't beat the location of UCLA to put you right into the entertainment law market. I think there's something to be said for being able to go to school (a T20 school at that!) knowing that it's paid for and not having to carry that burden around after you graduate, especially if you don't land that coveted entertainment law gig.